


Family Business

by wendelah1



Category: Fringe
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 10:53:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1223599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendelah1/pseuds/wendelah1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's very good of you to take on raising two young girls, especially now, given your other obligations."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Business

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saturnofthemoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saturnofthemoon/gifts).



> Written for Galentine's Day. Prompt: Amberverse Nina, her experiences raising Olivia. I wondered about that, too, since the timing coincided so closely with the creation of Bellmedics.

It had been many years since she had sat on the wrong side of the desk in an office like this. Nina Sharp conducted interviews, she didn't submit to them. 

The upper campus of Bromley Black & Nettleton School was located near the bank of the Charles River. The headmistress's office on the second floor had a superior view. The huge picture window overlooked the river, which divided the cities of Cambridge and Boston on its way out to sea. 

"There was an unexpected opening in the lower school, so Rachel can start right away. But our upper school is full, and there's a wait list." The headmistress pursed her lips and frowned. 

"I just need to know as soon as possible so I can make other arrangements if I need to," Nina said smoothly.

"I suppose homeschooling is out of the question for this semester?" 

Nina wanted to scream. Yes. Utterly out of the question. She was the Senior Vice President of R&D for a new start up. Her prosthesis was still in the shop for an upgrade even though William had promised she'd have it back by the end of last week. She had meetings scheduled from morning until night. There weren't enough hours in the day to do the job she was being paid to do, let alone take on parenting a troubled teenager.

"Yes. I'm afraid it is." 

"When does she arrive in Boston?"

"My housekeeper is with Olivia and Rachel. They're flying in from Chicago today. Their belongings should arrive a few days later. I'm moving into a larger place, to accommodate the girls." _And a live-in child psychologist._

"It's very good of you to take on raising two young girls, especially now, given your other obligations."

There was no other option, according to William Bell. After Marilyn Dunham was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, at his urging Nina agreed that she would arrange to take custody of both girls in the event of their mother's death. Marilyn had moved her family to Chicago to be close to their grandfather, but he died two years ago. There were no other living relatives. Neither Nina nor William thought foster care was a viable option given Olivia's history. William told her what Walter Bishop believed: there had been two fires at the Jacksonville daycare center and Olivia was responsible for both of them. It sounded preposterous to her. No matter what Walter said, there was no evidence to support his theory. But there was the fatal shooting of her stepfather when she was only nine to consider. If something else were to happen... William felt Bellmedics simply couldn't afford the scrutiny and Nina was forced to agree. The investors were nervous enough as it was and it wouldn't be difficult to connect the dots. 

None of that was any of this woman's business. Nina decided to put the focus back where it belonged. "Olivia has had a hard life but I think...she can make something of herself if given a chance. Your school has such an excellent reputation. We, that is, Dr. Bell and I, were particularly impressed with the high caliber of your foreign language instruction. Olivia is already fluent in German and I know she'll do well in other languages." _Shut up, Nina. You're babbling._

The headmistress looked puzzled. "I don't see German on her transcript." She flipped through the papers on her desk.

"I believe she taught herself, with the help of an elderly neighbor." 

"Taught herself?" The woman looked impressed as well she should.

"Yes." Olivia had a true photographic memory. William thought it might be a result of a drug, Cortexiphan, which she'd been given as a young child, but there was no way to be certain. Nor any reason to mention the ability at all. They'd find out for themselves soon enough if they had half a brain. 

The headmistress opened up her Filofax. "Can she come in tomorrow for an interview? Let's say 8:30." 

"Yes, of course." 

"I don't need to tell you how much we appreciate the generous donation to our scholarship fund." 

_You're right, you don't. You just need to stop playing these games and wasting my time._ "Doctor Bell and I want to support the school in any way that we can." 

Olivia's mother hadn't spent a dime of the trust fund that had been set up for her daughter after the Cortexiphan trials had ended. A substantial donation to Bromley Black & Nettleton, one that would assure the Dunham girls a place at the school and another deserving child a good education seemed an entirely appropriate legacy. The remainder would be invested to pay for the children's college education. Bellmedics would continue to fund the scholarship indefinitely; Nina would make sure of it.

The headmistress stood up, signaling an end to the meeting. 

Nina rose and extended her left hand. "Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me." 

They exchanged the usual pleasantries. As Nina was escorted to the exit by a plainclothes security officer, she phoned her driver to bring the car to the entrance. Besides its excellent academic reputation, the other thing she liked about this school was its state-of-the-art security. And close proximity to a fire station. 

~/~/~

The rest of day passed quickly with meetings, meetings and more meetings. Since her driver was at the airport to bring the Dunham girls to their new home, Nina called a cab for herself. She was feeling uncharacteristically anxious, perhaps because she hadn't seen the girls since the funeral. She knew it was going to be a hard transition for all of them. If only there'd been more time. Between work and, well, work, she'd barely found time to breathe since she'd joined Bellmedics. 

While Nina was fumbling for her key, Hannah Whitley opened the townhouse door. Hannah was the child psychologist William had coaxed out of retirement to play housekeeper and surrogate parent for the Dunham children. Nina had to wonder what William had said to get her to take on this assignment. Maybe she needed the extra cash? 

"Thank you, Hannah." Nina set her briefcase down on the table in the foyer and shrugged off her coat. She transferred the coat to her hook and opened the door to the entry closet with her left hand. Clumsily she pulled off a hanger and draped the coat over it. God damn it, she needed her arm back. 

"Where are the girls?" she said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Rachel is already asleep. Olive is upstairs with her. I made up the sleeper sofa for them. She read her sister a bedtime story and now she's reading to herself."

"How are they doing?" 

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "They buried their mother not a week ago. They've just been moved across the country to live with a perfect stranger. They're sad and angry and all of the other feelings you'd expect from children in their position."

Nina frowned. "I'm hardly a stranger. I've visited with the family several times in the past six months."

Hannah didn't blink. "I have already told you how I feel about your taking on this huge responsibility. I could say you mean well but I'm not convinced that's the case."

"My motives are none of your concern. You're here on William's behest to help us during this difficult period."

"Exactly. I'm not working for you." 

Nina decided to ignore this. She'd discuss her concerns with William if Dr. Whitley continued in this direction.

"I'd like to say goodnight to Olivia and get ready for bed myself. It's been a long, difficult day and tomorrow promises more of the same." Nina headed for the staircase, then turned around. "Olivia has an interview at Bromley Black and Nettleton at 8:30 tomorrow morning. It's only a short distance but we should still plan to leave by eight, I think."

"You're going up to see her. Why don't you tell her this yourself?" Hannah suggested.

This woman was beyond annoying. "Yes, thank you. I will." Nina began to climb the stairs.

"Ms. Sharp." 

Feeling exasperated, Nina turned around yet again. "Yes?"

"BB&N is a fine school, very child-centered even in the upper grades. You've chosen well, given the time constraints." 

_Good grief. Does she really think I need her approval?_ "We had an educational consultant provide us with some options. This seemed like a good match to him and I agreed. Is there anything else?" 

"No." 

"Goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning."

~/~/~

The interview went better than Nina had expected. Olivia was poised, self-assured and respectful. She was a remarkable young woman: intelligent, unusually focused for her age, and quite accomplished, especially given all she'd been through. It was obvious to Nina that she would be an asset to any educational institution. The headmistress, what was her name? Ms. Thomson had given her approval on the spot as Nina had been certain she would. The second semester had already begun. Olivia didn't want to miss any more days so she would meet next with the school counselor to plan her schedule and start classes the following day. 

"Olivia, before you see Mr. Dickerson, there is one thing more I need to say." 

Ms. Thomson looked and sounded genuinely concerned. Nina watched Olivia out of the corner of her eye. Olivia didn't reply; she sat quietly, waiting.

"I'm very sorry about your mother." The results were predictable. Olivia burst into tears. 

Nina knew some gesture of comfort was expected of her, but she felt frozen in place. Before Nina could move, Ms. Thomson left her desk and was standing by Olivia, one hand resting on her shoulder. Nina felt relieved and irritated. Was that really necessary?

"There, there. Get it all out. Ms. Sharp, there's a box of tissues on the bookshelf in back of you. Would you pass it over?" 

Automatically Nina reached with her right hand but--there was the damned hook again. She was so out of practice. Carefully she grasped the tissue box and brought it over to Ms. Thomson. Olivia was in the sniffling and hiccuping phase of her meltdown. 

Ms. Thomson took a few tissues and handed them to Olivia. She moved a chair closer and sat down next to Olivia. "Take your time, my dear. There's no rush." 

Nina tried not to think about the meetings that would have to be rescheduled if this one ran long. 

Olivia came from her meeting with the guidance counselor seemingly contented. They'd taken a brief tour of the campus. Afterward they talked while her driver brought them back to the townhouse.

"Tell me about your classes. What are you going to be taking?" That was a neutral topic. 

Olivia looked down at her lap. "Mr. Dickerson asked me about my future plans." She looked over at Nina, smiling shyly. 

"And what did you tell him?" Nina was curious to hear the answer herself.

"First I told him about my stepfather. He said he knew already but he was glad I'd said something. He didn't know that I'd decided I wanted to be an FBI agent." Olivia smiled again, a half smile this time.

A small alarm went off in Nina's brain but she decided to ignore it—for now. "I didn't know that either." 

"There's a great program at Northwestern he thought would be right for me. We mapped it all out--my entire course of study for the next four years, when to take the SAT. He's going to meet with me once a week until I'm comfortable here at BB&N. That's what they call it. It sounds like one of the Monopoly railroads." 

"He sounds very helpful," Nina said. 

Olivia picked at some lint on her sweater. "He said Rachel and I were very lucky to be living here in Boston with you. That we'd always be safe now." She glanced at her quickly, then went back to the lint-picking.

"Yes. You will," Nina said firmly. She doubted Olivia becoming an FBI agent fit that goal, but they could talk about that later. 

"Ms. Sharp, may I ask you a question?" 

"Of course you may. And please, call me Nina."

Olivia frowned a little. "Thank you, ma'am, but that wasn't how I was raised. We were taught to say Mr. or..."

Nina interrupted her. "That's fine then. Ms. Sharp will do. Go ahead, Olivia. What did you want to ask?" 

"I've been wondering how you knew my mother. She didn't say much. Just that you'd been friends a long time ago."

"Yes. That's right." When a lie was necessary Nina found it was best to keep it simple.

"She was so sick when she said we'd be going to live with you...after. I didn't want to bother her with questions. Was it when we were still living in Jacksonville? Because I don't remember meeting you." 

The best lie was the one that would be hardest to disprove. "I knew your mother long before she had children, before she'd married your stepfather." She made a mental note to ask her assistant to compile a complete dossier on Marilyn Dunham. She'd bet her bottom dollar that this wouldn't be the last time Olivia asked about her mother's past. 

She changed the subject to something safer. "Tell me about the classes you'll be taking this semester."

After dropping Olivia back at the townhouse, she had her driver head back to Bellmedics headquarters. She had her afternoon meetings postponed. The lab had left a message that her prosthesis was ready. The recalibration could take over a hour, plus she needed time to think.

What had she gotten herself into? 

She'd never wanted to have children. Her career had always come first, yet here she was, taking on the responsibility for two young lives. 

Nina thought about how little she'd said to Olivia and Rachel since they'd met, how awkward she felt whenever she'd tried to reach out. Nina was an only child. She had always been more comfortable around adults: her teachers, her parents. She didn't know how to talk to the children, let alone deal with their grief. By contrast, Ms. Thomson's conversation with Olivia had been so natural and unforced. Logically, Nina understood why Hannah Whitley was concerned about bringing the girls to live with her even if Nina did feel resentful about it. 

Well, she'd just have to learn what to do. Hannah would be there as a buffer until she got better at it. She would have to make sure the psychologist understood how valuable she was to Nina, not just to the children. They needed to become allies. Surely she could win the woman over. After all, Nina had been an excellent project manager. This was just a different sort of project to manage.

She found her cellphone and dialed her assistant. "Jeremy. I'll be back in around fifteen minutes. Would you order lunch from the Chinese place. Yes, the usual. Thank you. And one more thing. I want you to get me some board games, maybe some big puzzles." She would get the hang of this parenting business.

It was nearly nine o'clock again when Nina returned home again in a taxi. To her surprise and dismay, Olivia was sitting on the front step of the townhouse. Even wearing her winter coat, hat, and gloves, she was shivering in the cold night air. 

"Olivia! What are you doing out here? Let's get you inside now." What was the child thinking? It was warm for this time of year but still...

"I need to talk to you, Ms. Sharp." What was this about? Olivia looked frightened. 

"That's fine, but we need to talk inside," Nina said firmly. 

"But I need to talk to you alone. I don't want Mrs. Whitley to hear." 

There was no point in discussing the matter further. Nina ushered Olivia inside the door. Dr. Whitley was nowhere in sight. Quietly she walked Olivia upstairs to the master bedroom, shut the door behind them and locked it. She turned on the clock radio next to her bed. It was set to a classical station currently playing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Excellent. She turned the sound up a notch. 

There was a small loveseat on the wall furthermost from the doorway. "Let's sit here." Olivia nodded but didn't move. Nina pulled the comforter off her bed and wrapped it around Olivia. Something warm to drink would help too but that would have to wait. Nina sat down and finally Olivia followed suit. "What's all this about?" Olivia shook her head. "Olivia, if you don't tell me what's wrong, I can't help you."

"I recognized her. Mrs. Whitley. From Jacksonville. She's not just a housekeeper, is she?" 

_Jacksonville? William, what have you done?_ "No, she isn't. She's a child psychologist. The man I work for, Dr. Bell, knew her from before she retired, and I assumed it was from Harvard. He asked her to stay with us while you and Rachel and I were getting used to each other. Olivia, did she work at the Jacksonville daycare center? Did she work with Dr. Bishop?"

"I think so. Ms. Sharp, I'm afraid. I heard her talking on the phone to someone this afternoon. About me." 

_What had this woman done to Olivia? And who the hell was she talking to?_ "Well, I'm not afraid of her. There has to be a logical explanation for this. She can't do anything to hurt you or Rachel." _Not if I have anything to say about it._ "I'm going to call Dr. Bell right now and tell him that we no longer require her services. By the time you get home from school tomorrow, she'll be gone." 

"Can I stay here tonight with you?" 

"Yes. Of course, and Rachel, too." This last made Olivia visibly relax. 

The two girls spent the night on Nina's bed, curled up together like puppies. Thank heavens she'd ordered the California King mattress. She'd make do with the loveseat and an extra blanket but it didn't matter—she knew she wasn't going to sleep much that night. 

When he called her back, William was most apologetic about Dr. Whitley, saying it hadn't occurred to him that Olivia would remember her from Jacksonville. For someone so brilliant, the man could be remarkably obtuse. He assured her that the woman would be gone when they returned home the next day. He had no idea who she'd been speaking with about Olivia.

"How's your new arm doing?" he'd asked her next.

He already knew the answer. It was perfect, proof positive that Bellmedics had something of value to offer disabled veterans. Their company was going to be a huge success. That was the good news.

The bad news was Nina didn't know what to believe about the experiments that Walter and William had conducted on the children at the Jacksonville daycare center. At this point, she wasn't sure if she should trust William's version of events. Incarcerated since last year at St. Claire's Hospital, Walter Bishop was in no condition to tell her anything. It was clear that she'd have to do some research of her own. She needed to understand what had happened to Olivia--what this drug, Cortexiphan, was supposed to do and what had gone wrong. She should find out about the other children they'd experimented on, too. 

But that would have to wait. Right now her chief concern was Olivia and Rachel Dunham. Nina curled up on the loveseat and pulled the blanket around her shoulders. She couldn't change what had happened in their past, and she certainly couldn't replace their mother, but she damn well could keep them safe from harm, and do her utmost to make them happy. They were sweet girls, both of them. She vowed to do her best to ensure their future was a bright one. It was in Bellmedics' best interest. She was sure William would agree.


End file.
